Ratchet wrench



Patented Septa 5, 1922. i

einen estasi' errance,

JAMES I1. HICKEY, OF CRANE, ANI) JOI-IN KRACHT, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

RATO-HET WRENCH.

Application led April 24, 1920.

To all 207mm t may concern:

Be it known that JAMES L. Hickey and JOHN KRACHT, residing, respectively, at lrane, in the county of Rusk, Sta-te of Visconsin, and at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ratchet Vrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eficient ratchet wrench for general machine and repair work, capable of being adjusted to operate at various angles to facilitate reaching bolts and nuts in more or less inaccessible positions and having the adjusting means disposed withinthe contour of the wrench and shank so as to economize space and minimize the space within which the tool may be effectively employed, and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the wrench.

Figure 2 is an edge view.

Figure 3 is a side view partly broken away to show the operating means.

rllhe tool consists essentially of a shank 10 having a handle or grip portion 11 and bifurcated as indicated at 12 for the reception of a pivotal head 18 carrying a bolt or nut seat la defined by the spaced jaws 15, it being understood that the head is interchangeable with similar heads having seats 14 of different dimensions or having heads adapted to serve as pipe or rod-engaging means.

At its inner end the head is provided with a ratchet face 16 with which engages a pawl 1'? pivoted as at 18 and housed in the bifurn cated portion of the shank in position to terminally engage the teeth of the ratchet and thus hold the jaw in an adjusted position or permit it to feed in one direction as the requirements of the operation of the tool may indicate. The pawl or dog is usually Serial No. 376,255.

held in operative position by a spring 19 secured to a pin 20 and having engagement with a bearing pin 21, while projecting from the rear or inner end of the pawl or dog is an operating pin 22 which terminally projects beyond the contour of the edge of the shank in convenient position to be actuated to disengage .the pawl or dog from the ratchet teeth. It will be noted that the pawl or dog with its operating pin and actuating spring are located in the space between the side walls of the bifurcation in the shank so as to be completely housed and afford no interfering projections for Contact with 0bjects adjacent to the path of the tool in operation, so that the latter may be used in comparatively restricted or conlined spaces without inconvenience.`

lhat is claimed is:

A wrench having a bifurcated shank, a-

pivotal head mounted in the bifurcation of said shank and provided with a nut seat, the head at the inner end being of arcuate shape and provided with ratchet teeth concentrically disposed with reference to the pivot of the head, a pawl disposed in said bifurcation below the head, a pivot pin spanning the bifurcation and pivotally supporting the pawl, the said pivot being disposed to one side of the axis of the shank, a leaf spring supported in the bifurcation and having a free end bearing against the pawl, the spring being supported on a pin spanning the bifurcation, a bearing pin disposed against the spring to maintain the latter in Contact with the pawl, and an operating pin connected with the pawl and disposed transversely with relation to the shank and having its free end eXteriorly exposed for the manual operation of the. pawl in opposition to the pressure of the spring.

In testimony whereof they aiiX their signatures.

JAMES L. HI'CKEY. JOHN KRACHT. 

